


hold your breath and blow it down

by daiikon



Category: Giant Killing
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 04:45:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3474923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daiikon/pseuds/daiikon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The way Ishigami grins, calm and collected demeanor all walled up again, makes Hotta feel as if he just willingly invited the big bad wolf into his home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	hold your breath and blow it down

**Author's Note:**

> Self-indulgent fic because of nonexistent fandom.
> 
> ;; please look at this wonderful [fanart](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=27109907) and weep with me they're so cute. in fact have some more [here](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=32360069) and [here](http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=20724920)

By now the sun had settled into the horizon while the team's holiday dinner went on without a hitch. Aside from Kuroda's boisterous alcohol-induced spirit drawing more attention to their table as Hotta would've liked, the atmosphere was rather enjoyable as he made small talk with some of the players near his table and joined in on the toast made to Tatsumi and Matsu-san for handling their team in the previous season; a toast in which the latter gushed in embarrassment, the former dismissing it in his usual tactless manner but was grinning, nonetheless.

Hotta was making his way back home after saying his farewells and pleasantries to his teammates; many clamping him on the back and wishing him the same while a few warned him not to be too lax during their week off. As if he could afford to rest easy, knowing his teammates would squeeze in their own sort of practice one way or another during their break. Then again, they're a team made up of people like that so he really shouldn't be expecting any less at this point. He's grown fond of them, admittedly, even with the few kinks and disagreements in between. But as of right now he's not opposed to having some time alone after such a rowdy celebration and would love nothing more than to go home to his apartment to take a steamy well-deserved hot shower before winding down and sleeping the rest of the day off.

But of course, life has a way of messing that up for him.

Ishigami, heading the same way, had tagged along with him after everyone had split. He's far from bothered by it as the walk was peaceful for the most part, but ironically that was the main source of his growing uneasiness. He's just not used to the silence between them, probably. Ishigami and Tanba were an obnoxious duo when they open their mouths and Ishigami seemed to be pratically fond of annoying Hotta just to get a rouse out of his reactions. So no, he shouldn't really be worried. It's been a long day and besides, Ishigami had been pretty lively during the party as well and he supposes the cold air had sobered him up a little.

"You drank more than usual today," Hotta says offhandedly, eyes naturally averting to the side as he observes the town's holiday decorations in mild disinterest.

"Eh?" Ishigami glances in his direction, as if taken aback by the sudden comment on his drinking habits. "Oh. If anything, I was drowning my despair through the powers of sake." He quips, an exaggerated anguish colouring his expression. "Spending all my free time with you guys...can you believe I'll be celebrating another Christmas without a cute girl to spoil rotten? Where has my youth gone, seriously!"

Hotta promptly retracts his concern. Ishigami glances up at him once more and snickered gleefully. "Hey hey don't look at me like that, I'm only telling you the truth."

The part where he was lonely or the part about his youth? Hotta might think it's both, but he's too irked to console his companion through his sudden mid-life crisis at the moment. Hell, he's only a year younger so what does that make him?

Hotta chooses to be silent for the remainder of the walk. The holiday music from nearby stores drone to a muffled sound against his thoughts, and he barely gave much attention to his surroundings either. Everything muddled together at some point but Ishigami's backside remained clear in his peripheral -- the older male had overtaken him a few paces ahead, humming cheerily to whatever song had played on the radio this morning. He's...somewhat peculiar, Hotta would think, and that's saying something considering the wide range of personalities he had been exposed to over the years on field. Ishigami was a tactful risk-taker when the moment calls for it, and assess situations more deeply than one would give him credit for. But it's this aloof persona he gives off that leaves Hotta at a loss when trying to grasp an understanding of him. He doesn't get him. Or rather, does he even want to?

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, it might have been too late for Hotta to realize that they completely bypassed the train station while Ishigami was still by his side.

"...Gami-san, where are you going?"

Ishigami looks back and quirks a questioning brow, frowning disapprovingly when he a sees Hotta pointing towards the general direction to the station entrance. "You're gonna make your beloved teammate go home drunk like this?" Ishigami points an accusing finger at him. "What if I end up puking on someone on the train? What if I pass out! How can you be so cruel, Hotta ~"

"That's your problem," Hotta states cooly, resuming his walk down the street while pulling his scarf a little higher up on his chin. "You're not even that drunk."

"Your house is nearby isn't it? Why are you being so stingy for, cheap-otta!" The complaint was met with a a rigid face and Hotta internally thanked all that was holy for his ever-expanding sleet of patience. The other male had skipped back to match his pace, all while peering up at him with an annoyingly devious leer. "Oho, don't tell me there's someone waiting for you back home?" Ishigami drops another teasing remark, jabbing an elbow to Hotta's side. "Then again, I can't see a personality like yours experiencing anything close to a steamy love affair."

Okay, rude. "Hearing that from you pisses me off for some reason," Hotta snides back in retort.

"Not as much as if you heard it from Gino." And well, that was pretty true too.

They banter lightly for a while until arriving at Hotta's flat, a reasonably small apartment tucked cozily in the corner of a mundane street. He quickly fishes for his keys in his pockets before jutting it into the lock, promptly stepping inside when he manages to get the door free. He feels overwhelmingly blessed for the warmth that openly greets him in contrast to the frigid air outside, the electric bill a necessary sacrifice he was willing to make. When Hotta turns back he notices Ishigami still lingering by the doorway, face drawn pensive for a flickering second.

Releasing a light sigh, Hotta opens the door a little wider. "It's cold, hurry up and get in."

The way Ishigami grins, calm and collected demeanor all walled up again, makes Hotta feel as if he just willingly invited the big bad wolf into his home.

Ishigami Tatsuo is cunning. It wasn't similar in a sense to Tatsumi who always seem to have an abundant storage of strategic tactics to use at his disposal, nor was it like Gino who uses his wide field of vision to assist his gameplay -- (not to mention his frivolous use of charm to recruit poor, unsuspecting underlings to serve under his wing), so Hotta doesn't remotely understand how he suddenly finds himself cutting fruits late in the night to entertain a guest who freely made himself at home and demanded snacks and tea. It's not to say he's unfamiliar with this development. His place was close to the club, and on occasion Ishigami was not above unceremoniously dropping by for dinner after practice, or even to lounge about in his apartment after a workout at the gym with some of the other members. Every now and then, watching a midnight movie together or a late one-on-one practice session also resulted in a sleepover or two.

Either way, he's just too kind to turn him away, or more like, he's too naive and gets drawn into the other's pace way too easily; a perfect little red riding hood he would've made, huh?

When he returns to the living room with a plate of peeled apples and pears, he sets it down on the coffee table while Ishigami, perched comfortably on the side of the couch, mindlessly sips on his lukewarm tea.

Hotta sits a distance away on the same couch and glances at the other thoughtfully, wondering how long he'll be staying this time. With the way Ishigami talked earlier on, he probably already decided to stay the night so Hotta dutifully takes note to pull out the futon when they get prepared for bed. 

His attention abruptly snaps back up when Ishigami places the teacup on the table with a small clink. "Hotta..." Ishigami starts, a weary smile.

Hotta tilts his head questioningly. "Yeah?"

"All your staring is making me nervous."

Before Hotta can stutter out a heated reply, Ishigami promptly slumps right into his lap, closing the distance between them. Slightly stunned -- because really, who would ever be prepared for that -- Hotta awkwardly rests his hand on Ishigami's arm. Was he still drunk?

 _Watch out for my movements,_ Ishigami had once told him during a match. He was encouraged to go through with his intuition that time, to have fun on the field for once -- to _go_ for it, and so he did and wound up assisting a play that ended with an exhilarating goal against the other team. Yet even off-field, he occasionally finds his eyes straying towards the other male as if the command never wore off. That isn't what bothers him though. Because in the end, he's never really sure what Ishigami is thinking or how to react when his actions were too ambiguous for Hotta to wrap his head around.

It's frustrating because the more he thinks about it, the more irritated he gets.

A beat passes and the words that spill from Hotta's lips taste strangely bitter, which was odd because he swore he only washed down two cans of beer back at the party. "You know," it's gruff, unwelcoming. "I'm not a girl you'd want to spoil rotten."

Ishigami closes his eyes and doesn't answer. Hotta is unsurprised.

Absentmindedly, Hotta ghosted his hand up along the arm until his fingers had reached the nape -- out of spite or maybe out of habit, he delicately caresses against the neck where he knows is sensitive. Ishigami tenses up for a moment, high-wired and barriers of translucent insecurities projecting forward, all before slowly easing into the feather-like touch with every gentle stroke. Briefly, Hotta wonders how Ishigami would react if he were to press his lips onto that very spot.

Hotta then feels Ishigami shrug in a belated response to his question. Turning on his back, the other male faced Hotta with a playful, subdued smirk. "When you put it that way, Hotta, I don't mind being the cute one who gets spoiled instea-- _ouch!!_ " The indignant squawk was enough to ease his fraying nerves, feeling adamantly content when he gets an eyeful of a flustered Ishigami swatting a hand away from his pinched nose. "Uncalled for!" He reaches out towards Hotta's arm splayed across his chest and clutches onto it, probably as a preventative measure if Hotta decided to administer any other unsuspecting attacks again.

 _You deserved that one_ Hotta snorts, disbelieving. He can only think how unfair Ishigami was, lying unabashedly on his lap with no reservation for anything else. "Whatever," Hotta softly murmurs in resignation -- an afterthought. "Do whatever you want." Tentatively, he cards through the other's disheveled hair with his other free hand as Ishigami closes his eyes once more, offering a rare, genuine little smile that Hotta silently pockets in his mind.

No more words were exchanged after that. Ishigami tilts his head to the side as he makes himself comfortable while Hotta loosely rests his arm around the other male's torso. Maybe it's also habit, the way Ishigami caresses the arm in small circles with the pad of his thumb, quietly lulling Hotta's defenses away into nothing more than loose strands of pride. Strangely enough, he suddenly imagines the wolf petting little red riding hood and it almost makes him laugh.

 _Ah, I'm going to get eaten_  Hotta thinks listlessly. 

The seconds continue to tick away and at one point, fatigue had slowly seeped through their worn, tired bodies without them knowing. Neither of them bothered to move, so they stay like that for just a while longer; comfortable and lazy, with only the sound of soft humming filling the quiet space of the night.


End file.
